Labour loses two seats in London assembly, including its group leader

Labour's woes intensified yesterday as the party lost two seats on the London assembly, including that of its group leader.

The biggest casualty was Toby Harris, leader of the Labour group on the assembly and the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority. His 4,380 majority was overturned as his vote was squeezed by other parties to give the Tories a 4,686 majority. Labour also lost a seat under the system of proportional representation because of the extent to which its vote fell across London.

Where it held seats, it was with heavily reduced majorities. The Tories picked up nine seats, but suffered one casualty after the PR calculations - Eric Ollerenshaw, the party leader on the assembly.

But the most surprising development was the capture of two assembly seats by the UK Independence party, its first entry into devolved London politics. Across the capital, UKIP picked up a startling number of votes.

It polled 26,703 votes in Bexley and Bromley, a seat held by the Tories with 64,000 votes. In Croydon and Sutton, held by Conservative Andrew Pelling with 52,330 votes, UKIP took 15,203 votes.

The Liberal Democrats polled 28,636 and Labour took third place with 25,861.

The result revealed a strong showing by UKIP, which took 15,203 votes. UKIP also polled strongly in Enfield and Haringey with 10,652 votes in a seat held by Labour. UKIP scuppered Tory hopes of taking the seat by securing 8.58% of the vote. The party also performed well in East London, taking 12% in the City and East seat, which was held by Labour with a majority reduced by 16%.

Tony Travers, of the London School of Economics, said: "The UKIP showing is notable because hitherto London has been seen as a relatively pro-Europe place. They also appear to have killed off the possibility of a seat being taken in London by the BNP."

Overall the Tories got nine seats, Labour seven, the Liberal Democrats five and the Green party and UKIP two seats each.

The shape of the assembly is crucially important to Londoners, but also to the mayoralty. The assembly's powers over the mayor are limited, but it can, with a two-thirds majority, reject his budget.

It also has executive powers because of its stewardship of the appointments committee. The mayor can make 12 political appointments, but the employment of every other employee of the Greater London Authority must be channelled through the appointments committee.

All parties are represented on the committee in proportion to the number of seats they hold.